The Humble Addrefs of the House of Commons to the King. MOST GRACIOUS SOVEREIGN, WE your majefty's most dutiful and loyal fubjects, the commons of Great Britain in parliament affembled, beg leave to return your majesty the most humble and hearty thanks of this houfe, for your moft gracious fpeech from the throne. Permit us, at the fame time, to offer to your majefty our warmest congratulations on the joyful and aufpicious event of your royal nuptials, with a princefs defcended from an illuftrious Proteftant line, distinguished by the most eminent graces and endowments, and worthy to be the royal partner of your throne by poffeffing every virtue that can adorn it. We beg leave alfo to exprefs our juft fense of that affectionate regard, which your majefty has fhewn for your people, by confulting, on this most important and interefting occafion, as on every other, their happiness and that of their pofterity. And we affure your majesty, that, with hearts full of gratitude for this fignal inftance of your royal attention to the welfare of your fubjects, and thoroughly fenfible of the exalted merit of your illuftrious confort, your faithful commons will not fail to make fuch honourable and ample provifion, as may enable her to fupport her royal dignity with proper luftre, in cafe fhe fhall furvive your majesty; for the long continuance of whofe life we shall never ceafe to offer up to the Divine Providence our most ardent vows. Allow us, Sir, to return our fincere and humble thanks to your majesty, for your tender concern for the profperity of your people, in wishing to restore to them the bleffings of peace; and to declare that we cannot too much admire that humanity, fo becoming your royal breaft, which, amidft the fucceffes of your own kingdoms, feels for the calamities of other nations, We are fully perfuaded, that thefe beneficent difpofitions, which induced your majefty to confent to the appointment of a congrefs for a general pacification, and to enter into a negotiation with France for a particular peace, could not have failed of the defired effect, if the enemy, influenced by the fame motives, had fhewn the fame good intentions, and would have complied with fuch conditions as were requifite for the accom plishment of that falutary work. We do most gratefully acknowledge your majesty's vigilance and firmness, in not fuffering the hopes or expectations of peace to produce the least suspense or relaxation in the exertion of your arms. And we congratulate your majesty on thofe happy fucceffes, which, under the good providence of God, we must ascribe to the wisdom and vigour of your majesty's measures; to which we owe the reduction of Dominica, the conqueft of Belleifle, atchieved with so much reputation to the British arms, and the destruction of the enemy's power in the East Indies, by the acquifition of Pondicherry, their laft remaining fettlement of any ftrength in those countries. The wife and able conduct of his ferene highnefs prince Ferdinand of Brunswic, whereby he hath fucceffively defeated the projects of the enemy, and hath prevented their making that progrefs, which, from their fuperior numbers, they expected, together with that gracious approbation, which your majesty hath been pleased to exprefs of the valour of your troops, cannot but give the highest fatisfaction to your faithful commons: and they fee, with just admiration, the repeated proofs, in every campaign, of that unfhaken resolution, and of those aftonishing efforts, which alone could have enabled your majesty's great ally, the king of Prussia, to refift the numerous forces of his enemies. We beg leave to affure your majesty of our intire concurrence and fupport in the most effectual profecution of the war, for the intereft and advantage of these kingdoms; and in maintaining, to the utmost of our power, the good faith and honour of your majesty's crown, and the engagements entered into with your allies; and that we are truly fenfible, that the conftant care and attention of your majesty to purfue the most vigorous meafures in every part, where any fuccessful impreffion can still be made upon 4E 2 the the enemy, are the only means to attain that defireable object, an honourable and a lafting peace. We receive, with the deepest gratitude, that most endeaaing expreffion of your majesty's unbounded goodness and affection towards this your native country, in the folemn declaration, which your majefty has been pleased to make, that, as well in the prosecution of the war as in the conclufion of the peace, no confideration whatever fhall induce you to depart from the true interest of these your kingdoms, and from the honour and dignity of your crown. Your majesty may be affured, that your faithful commons will chearfully grant fuch fupplies, as the nature and extent of the feveral fervices fhall be found to require; firmly relying on your majesty's wisdom and justice, that they will be applied with the strictest oeco nomy, and in fuch a manner as may most effectually answer the great ends for which they fhall be granted. We do, with great truth, affure your majefty, that it is our moft earnest defire, that this first parliament convened by your royal authority, may, by their conduct, give your majefty a happy proof of the zeal, the loyalty, and the affection of your people. Senfible of the difficult crifis, in which we are affembled, we are determined to concur, with the greatest firmness and unanimity, in whatever may contribute to the public welfare, may tend to defeat the views and expectations of our enemies, and may convince the world, that there are no difficulties, which your majefty's wifdom and perfeverance, with the affiftance of your parliament, cannot furmount. The Speech of his Excellency George Dunk, Earl of Halifax, Lord Lieutenant General and General Governor of Ireland, to both Houses of Par liament, at Dublin, on Thursday, the 22d day of October, 1761. MY LORDS AND GENTLEMEN, I Have the honour of his majesty's commands to meet this his first parliament in Ireland: I obey them with entire fa'tisfaction, from an affurance, that your deliberations will be influenced by the fame principles of loyalty and affection to your fovereign, and of zeal for the profperity of your country, which have fo long diftinguished the parliaments of this kingdom. 2 The lofs of our late moft gracious fovereign, at a time when not only the fecurity of his own dominions, but the welfare of Europe, feemed fo effentially to depend on the continuance of his life, muft have affected you in the moft fenfible manner. Your grief, however, has already been alleviated, and your lofs repaired, by the facceffion of his majefty, not only to the tarone (his legal inheritance) but to the duty, affection, and confidence of his fub. jects, as unbounded as the greatest of his predeceffors have ever poffuffed in the most fortunate periods of their reign. This parlament happily commences with the acceffion of a king, bred under the influence, and formed by the example, of a prince, who uniformly tempered prerogative with law; and whofe glory it the exercife of his power, to was, in protect the rights and liberties of his people. You can be no strangers to his majesty's most gracious declaration, that the prefervation of the constitution in church and ftate, and the inforcing a due obedience to the laws (not more neceffary to his own authority than to the liberties of his people) fhall be the first and conftant object of his care. And I have it particularly in command to declare to you, That his fubjects of this kingdom are fully and in every refpect comprehended in thefe affurances. His majesty's wife choice of a royal confort, eminent for her perfonal vistues and endowments, and defcended from an houfe fo illuftrious for its attachment to the protestant caufe, difplays in the clearest light his paternal care, not only to preferve to us, but tranfmit ucimpaired to our pofterity, the bleifings of his reign, liberty, and pure religion. When r When I confider the fecurity of our prefent, and the prospect of our future happinefs; and when I see you animated, as I am perfuaded you are, with every fentiment which loyalty and gratitude can inspire; I affure myself of a feffion of parliament, that will be diftinguished by its uninterrupted harmony, and by its effective zeal for the fupport of the honour and dignity of the crown. Such difpofitions, steddily adhered to, cannot fail, under his majesty's paternal influence, to preferve you an happy, and establish you an opulent and flourishing people. Gentlemen of the House of Commons, I have ordered the proper officers to lay before you the feveral accounts and eftimates; from which you will be enabled to judge of the provifions necessary to be made for the fupport of his majesty's government, and for your own fecurity. The means of making those provifions (which I hope will be expeditiously adjufted) I doubt not will, on your part, be fuch as fhall be most suitable to the circumstances of this country; on mine, you may depend upon the utmost frugality. You will take into your confideration the feveral incidental charges of the military establishment, as it now ftands, of which exact estimates cannot be formed; and also that a large fum will be wanted for the effectual repair of the barracks; a work, which cannot be delayed. I muft obferve to you, that notwithftanding the authority given by the vote of credit of the last parliament, the fum of two hundred thousand pounds only has been raised; a circumstance of œconomy, which cannot fail to give you fatiffaction. * My Lords and Gentlemen, The improvement of your natural advantages ought to be the object of your most serious attention, Agriculture, the fureft fupport of every state, deserves at all times your highest regard, to the end that, through your wifdom, the skill and induftry of the inhabitants of this country may fully correfpond with the bounty of Providence in their favour. To encourage, regulate, and improve, which will of courfe extend, your manufactures and your commerce, will, I am Your linen fure, be your continual care. There is no object more worthy our attention than our Proteftant charter-' schools. Notwithstanding the peaceable demeanor of the Papists in this kingdom, it must always be your duty and your intereft to divert from error, by every effectual, tho' gentle, method, the deluded followers of a blind religion. And these institutions merit your support and protection, not only as schools of religion, but as feminaries of useful arts and virtuous industry. Let me now in the most earnest manner recommend to you, that, after fo many honourable events abroad, and fo many joyful events at home, neither jealoufies nor distrusts, neither public heats, nor private animofities, may disturb that tranquillity which is defirable at all times, and at this feafon is peculiarly neceffary to your welfare. As to what regards myself, you shall always find me not only ready, but follicituous, to contribute whatever my authori ty, my credit, or my experience can furnish for these falutary purposes. And I can with truth affure you, that I shall in no degree fulfil the intentions, nor merit the approbation of my royal master, but by ftudying the peace and welfare of the kingdom which his majesty has committed to my care. I am fenfible the fituation in which I am placed, is as arduous as it is impor tant; but I bring with me the cleareft intentions for your fervice. To maintain the honour, and to promote the service of the crown, are duties from which I never will depart to forward the profperity, and to preferve the conftitution of this country, are objects of which I never will lofe fight. And there is nothing I more fincerely wish, than that the interests of both kingdoms may as thoroughly underftood as they are feparably, connected. There is no point I fhall more diligently labour; and I muft now affure your at the |